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Sunday, 24 May 2015

White vinegar is almost available everywhere and is one of the wonderful ingredients to have at home as it has amazing benefits and uses both for the home and for us. I was spending the last few days researching about white vinegar and I was quite surprised at what I found out. We all know from the names that apple cider vinegar is made from apples and rice wine is made from fermented rice, white wine vinegar is made from white wine but regular white vinegar? The most people I asked didn't seem to have an answer and the labels in the white vinegar bottles didn't have much of an information either. That is when I got really curious and started reading all the articles on white vinegar. I found that white vinegar can be either made from grains or from petroleum! That was news to me and an other reminder that we should learn to read labels properly. I sometimes use paraffin wax for making my candles or for external application, but now because a reader of this blog advised, I am slowly switching over to beeswax for candle making. But consuming petroleum based products without realizing it is really a shocker. Next time you go shopping for white vinegar make sure the label says that it is derived from grains. It might be expensive than the regular vinegar but I feel it is worth the extra money. White vinegar has wonderful uses and benefits for hair, skin, health and cooking. A study has also proven that increasing the usage of vinegar in our diet also results in faster weight loss. Along with exercise and healthy food intake, try to include vinegar in your diet to lose weight faster. The number of things you can make with white vinegar is quite long. You can make wonderful things with white vinegar, from homemade hair rinse to fruit and vegetable wash. I have given a few that I have tried over the years, try and let me know how you like it...

BENEFITS & USES OF WHITE VINEGAR FOR HAIR, CLEANING, SKIN & HEALTH:

1. White Vinegar Hair Rinse For Dandruff & Dry Hair:

White vinegar hair rinse is really fun to make and can be really customized to suit every type of hair. For making the white vinegar hair rinse, you need fresh herbs. I like to first make herbal white vinegar by steeping the vinegar in herbs for a few days and then make the hair rinse. To make the hair rinse, take the required herbs (either dry or fresh) in a glass bottle and top it with white vinegar till the herbs are fully immersed. Close it with a lid and keep it away from sunlight for 4 to 6 weeks (pantry is the best place to store) till the vinegar is infused with the herbs. Don't forget to shake the bottle once in a few days. You can also bruise the fresh herbs slightly to release the essence better. Once the herbs have released the essence, strain and store the vinegar. To make the rinse, mix 1/4 cup of herb infused white vinegar with a cup of water and use. Like I mentioned this rinse can be customized to suit different hair types by adding the appropriate herbs to treat the problem. Neem leaves treat all scalp infections, rosemary prevents hair loss, holy basil like neem treats all infections and lavender has a soothing smell. You can also add the appropriate essential oils to the hair rinse to make it more effective. To use the rinse, apply it allover the scalp and hair, wait for 10 to 15 minutes and then wash it off. This white vinegar hair rinse also removes product build up and treats dandruff and itchy scalp very effectively. Since this rinse removes product build up, it leaves the hair soft, shiny and also relieves the hair of dryness. The herbal vinegar also stays well almost from 6 months to a year. Whenever you want to make the rinse, just mix the required amount of herbal vinegar in water. 2. White Vinegar Skin Cleanser For Acne & Skin Whitening

White vinegar makes an excellent cleanser. This cleanser is very easy to make and is very effective in cleaning the skin of all impurities. But since white vinegar is too strong, it always best to dilute it before using it on the hair and scalp. This cleanser also brightens the skin tone really well and prevents acne. To make the cleanser, make a cup of strong green tea and let it cool, once cool add equal quantity of white vinegar and few drops of tea tree oil. Mix well and store in the refrigerator. To use, take a little bit of the cleanser in a tissue and gently wipe the face with it to remove all the dirt and grime. You can splash your face with plain water after using the cleanser, pat dry and then apply a moisturizer. All the 3 ingredients used in the cleanser are very good for treating acne. This cleanser has a shelf life of about 2 weeks in the refrigerator. If you find equal quantity green tea and white vinegar too strong, reduce the amount of vinegar a bit.3. White Vinegar Vegetables & Fruit Wash:

Nowadays
I think twice before eating any fruit with the skin. Most of the time
it is hard to get organic fruits. Since I am living in a village, the
small towns near by my village does not have organic shops. I have
constantly suffered eating fruits than not eating them due to
pesticides. Each time I eat a watermelon, I get throat infection due to
the pesticide spraying. You will be surprised, if I say how I wash my
grapes! I bring water to the boil and add the grapes and let it sit till
the water cools and then eat it. The problem is that since the fruit is
almost cooked in the boiling water, it does not have the fresh taste
and tastes bland. I was looking for a good natural fruit and vegetable
wash recipe that can be done easily at home and one that really works. I
also wanted it to be chemical free, as chemical laden washes will add
few more layers of chemicals on the fruits. I really liked this recipe
as I found it be quite effective. This recipe for homemade fruit and
vegetable wash has vinegar and lemon juice. Vinegar is excellent in
removing pesticide coat on top of the fruits. I personally like 1: 2
vinegar to water ratio. You can also use 1: 3 vinegar to water ratio,
but anything below this ratio will not be very effective. You can make this fruit wash
and store it in a spray bottle. To make the spray, mix juice of half a fresh lemon to 1/2 cup of white vinegar and add a cup of water to it and mix well. To use, spray it on the fruits and
veggies till it is coated with the spray. Let it sit for 10 minutes,
then the fruits can be washed well and used. Any time you buy non
organic fruits that has to be eaten with the skin on, always try washing
it with this homemade wash. It only takes 10 minutes for the whole
process but saves us from lot of toxicity. Though this process does not
guarantee a 100% reduction in pesticide, it greatly reduces it. Enjoy
pesticide free fruits and vegetables!

4. White Vinegar Foot Soak:

White vinegar is especially helpful in treating and preventing
problems of the foot like foot odor, athletes foot, etc. During rainy
season, many school going children get their socks wet and they don't
remove their socks till they get home. This leads to foot odor and all
sorts of infection in the toes. All young children love to play in the
mud which increases the chances of them getting infected even more.
This vinegar and lemon foot soak is an effective way to prevent foot
problems in children. The acidic nature of the lemon and vinegar
prevents and treats all foot infections. This vinegar soak also helps to soften the
feet thus reducing foot cracks. Make your children immerse
their feet weekly once for 5 to 10 minutes in this foot soak till the water turns cold. Then apply
moisturizer after patting their feet dry. Adults can use a scrubber
after this homemade vinegar soak to remove the dead skin from their
foot and then can apply a moisturizer. This soak if done weekly once will prevent foot infections very effectively. To make this vinegar foot soak, take a
fresh lemon and grate the outer skin with a grater. Boil 2.5 liters of
water in a pan along with grated zest and once it comes to a boil, switch
off. Wait for it to come to lukewarm temperature then add 1/2 cup of vinegar and 1/4 cup of lemon juice. Enjoy using this homemade vinegar foot
soak!

5. White Vinegar For Cleaning: Laundry, Dogs & Cats

White vinegar cleans really really well and it can be rightly called a super cleaner! To clean blocked stinking drains, first pour in 1/4 cup of baking soda into the sink followed by 1/2 cup white vinegar. It will immediately start foaming. Wait for the foam to subside completely and then pour boiling water into the sink. This method is very effective and will remove bad odor too. White vinegar also softens the clothes really well. After washing and rinsing your clothes with regular detergent powder, add 1/4 cup of vinegar mixed with water, I am sure you will be pleasantly surprised at how soft the clothes turn out. It is especially useful adding vinegar while washing children's laundry as it also removes the bacteria and germs very effectively. If you have dogs or cats at home, you know how messy they are and white vinegar will come to the rescue there too. Mix vinegar with equal parts water and use this solution to clean up all the mess. It is cheap, easily available and really works!

7 comments:

My whole life I've been suffering from the awful problems of dandruff and really dry hair. I have tried loads of expensive shampoos and various kinds of treatments, but the results were always poor. Things did get better, bot only for a couple of weeks and after that returned to the previous condition. I hope your tip about the hair treatment will turn out to be the solution I am looking for !!!

Hi Ramya,I recently came across this site and completely fascinated. Though basically from Chennai, my husband is from Bhavani/Erode, And I am very proud and impressed that "namma orru ponnu" is spreading such a good word and doing great work with natural stuff! Kudos and really well done.

One question about white vinegar in washing - If I am using the homemafe detergent in your blog for our clothes in Washing machine, do you think it will be a good idea to add White vinegar too? I understand they might foam when mixed together, but do you think it harms the clothes?

Else can i use soap nut or H2O2 along with that detergent powder? Please confirm.

Thanks a lot and I am really glad that you like the blog :) I would suggest not adding vinegar along with the detergent as it reacts with baking soda and neutralizes the cleaning power of the powder. The homemade detergent itself cleans well, you don't need to add hydrogen peroxide and soap nut, try the homemade detergent and let me know how you like it....